Speakers

She is now CEO of Paradigm Norton Financial Planning, a B Corp and employee-owned firm that helps clients align their money with their values delivering high-quality financial planning alongside a strong focus on sustainable, responsible investing and stewardship.

She is co-author of The Fault Lines of Finance, written with neuropsychologist Dr Moira Somers.

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Richard Brown, partner, technology & commercial transactions | Travers Smith

Richard Brown specialises in high value and complex commercial contracts, collaborations and outsourcings. A member of Travers Smith’s ESG & Impact Group, he has deep experience in the energy and infrastructure sector. He is regularly called upon to help clients devise, structure and implement cutting edge net-zero transitions and investments, across heating and cooling, renewable energy, fibre, last mile networks, smart meters and energy data platforms.

Richard is ranked in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame and as a Band 1 Lawyer in Chambers and Partners for Commercial Contracts.

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Sarah Walker, partner, real estate, Travers Smith

Sarah is a Partner in the Real Estate team at Travers Smith with a particular expertise in advising on sustainable real estate, including green leases, social clauses, and aligning ESG investment and portfolio asset management strategies.  She also chairs Travers Smith’s AI Strategic Committee and is an AI leader within the business.

Sarah has considerable experience across a varied range of asset classes, staying close to market trends alongside her clients. She also specialises in advising clients on green leases, social clauses, and integrating ESG into investment and asset management strategies across a wide variety of asset classes—including city centre developments, offices, care homes and senior housing.  Combining her technical and ESG interests, Sarah has a focus in Data Centres and Powered Land deals.  Although yet to become mainstream within Data Centre developments, her strong ESG focus on energy transition is of particular interest to clients seeking to develop digital investment strategies that are sustainable in the longer term.

In 2025, Sarah Walker won the John Cartwright Award for Outstanding Individual at the AREF Awards, in recognition of her ESG thought leadership, including launching the ESG Myth-Busting Podcast.

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John Buttanshaw, partner, operational risk & environment | co-head of ESG & impact, Travers Smith

A regulatory expert – recognised across the legal directories (including as a Green Ambassador in the Legal 500) for deep expertise in energy, environmental and climate matters in particular – John is leader in the field of ESG, and co-heads Travers Smith’s ESG & Impact practice. John has a longstanding background in advising a range of clients (spanning the full spectrum from global corporates and asset managers, through to new market entrants and innovators, and across multiple sectors) on risk matters, across environmental, safety, human rights and energy related laws. John acts on both compliance and regulatory enforcement and defence mandates – including major Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive enforcement actions – and is able to leverage that broad skillset and understanding, and regulatory enforcement perspective, to provide a uniquely holistic offering to clients on ESG matters. He regularly works with clients on complying with or preparing for current and emergent ESG reporting legislation such as TCFD and CSRD, preparing for upcoming supply chain legislation such as the CS3D and deforestation regimes, as well as on transition planning, broader ESG horizon scanning, greenwashing and governance mandates.